Expert: Paul Wagner - 7/3/2007

Question
Dear Sir,

I recently received a gift from my mom : it's a 26 ounces bottle of Courvoisier Cognac "Fine champagne Napoleon" in a Lalique decanter. She received it in 1960... so near 50 years ago! Do you have an idea of the value of this bottle at this time and a suggestion on the way to sell it? A thousand thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Jacques

I am a bit confused by this one.  I don't think that Courvoisier had a Lalique decanter product that early...but they did have some lovely gift decanters in the early 1980's by Erte.  I  can't be sure without seeing the bottles, but these sound like some of the bottles that Courvoisier created as part of their marketing campaign back then.  Here is what the company said about them:

Erte Collection
Erte, the renowned French artist of the Art Deco period, was a connoisseur of cognac. Courvoisier's remarkable Collection Erte consists of eight decanters, beautifully designed and inscribed by Erte and containing an exceptionally rare blend influenced by his impeccable taste. This classic blend, reflecting the warmth and sensuality of Erte's designs, is made from only the oldest Grande Champagne cognacs. The heart of this cognac is the 1892 vintage, the year in which Erte was born.

There bottles, if full are  worth something near $1,000 a piece!  Of course, it is illegal for private individuals to sell liquor...but some people on ebay simply state that the liquid "is not for consumption" and then sell the bottle as a collectible. They still get around $1000 a bottle....  Empty, you might get someone to pay $100 on ebay...

If your mom is absolutely sure this is from 1960 and it is Lalique, the I can only suggest that this is a rarity that I haven't heard of.

Either way, you have something pretty special.  And a pretty nice mom, too!

Paul Wagner